macrae



Nov. 3, 1931;

J. N. MACRAE 1,830,326

IGNIT-ION MECHANISM Filed May 3. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l in km llll Ir INVENTOR 0 was.

Nov. 3, 1931. J. N. MACRAE 1,830,326

IGNITION MECHANISM Filed May 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR d-Mq mm- ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 1931 JAMES N. MAQRAEQOE srmmronn, oonnncrrcur, ASSIGNOB. TdrErRonEUM imn'rfnnn Y. POWER. COMPANY, or NEW onmmr, A'CORPOBATION or DELAWARE mnirron mnciranism ji'A p pl ication fiied liiay 3; 19am sear No. 274,777.

ii The 'presentin vention relates to an im- ,provement in ignition apparatus adapted for variouslu'ses butpa'rtic'ularly well adapted for'use in connection with oil burning appaatus, Y "f g One of the objects of my invention" is the provision of an ignition apparatuswhich is so constructed and arranged that the electrodes ofthe spark plug} or igniter are moved automatically into andout of operative position withrespect to therburnerl Such an arrangement obviously is of adyantage in that. injury to; theelect'rodes due to thefheat of the burning fuel is prevented. 'It will be appreciated also that by'moving the igniter' out offiring-position after ignition the igniter 1 electrodes will be maintained free of'oil and carbon.

- In-the, accompanying drawings Where'inI have illustrated an embodimentof my in en tion, Fig. 1 shows'the same in'plan'and'more rless diagrammatically i Fig.2 is a view'similar "toiFig. 1', showing parts "the igniter structure broken "away;

Fig. 3' is a View partlyfin-section ofmy 7 improved apparatuses viewedfrom theqrear I thereof; and V i 4is a diagra matic yi ew'showingthe system-of wiring) f Referring to the f drawings 5 in detall, my

3 [invention pr ovides'af spark plug' or igniterl,

"mounted in a basef'2; fand; "comprising two it terminals 3 and 4. I Theseterminals 'are'bent laterally with respect to thejlongitudinalaxis- 5 oft-the plug and thesef lateral vportions are bent inwardly toward 'eaich other to p'r oevide v [a spark'gap 5 Thefelectrode' 3'is'mo1inted j in the-plug; While the electrode 4 is mounted in.the,base2..- r

" thel'plug proper is held in the base. *The base 6 de ignates asparklplug clalin'p by which iil 'byabe n fcanl i.

" h omp e s embl b i g 1. 9191 th s ears pr yided with a gear eplug cla p:

between 'two members Jother side of the line. r '5' When the motor 24: has rotated o'fwhichisinpqnstamg es1i=with=madam I tobr1n -themntaa 33 carrled thereby into ges ured tofan' rim-116 2 acumen 9n] l n ticured'tosaidshaft.

The member l5is in the form of a cap and recelves one-end of a coil spring 16 coiled about-the shaft '13 and having the end opposite thefcapl l bearingconstantlyagainst'the 14 and 15 fixedly sehousing 17 of-a torque motor 18. This torque motor, the 'constructionof which, however,

constitutesno part of the present invention, comprises agear train designatedlQ as a whole, the end gear 'or pinion20 of this train meshing constantly with rack teeth 21 pro- Vided on the shaft 13. The shaft 13'as'willbe seen from Fig. 2 is mountedin bearings22 and23.' Q

Obviously movement to the right as'viewed F ig. 2 ofthe'shaft 13 under the action of LJU the gear train "19 of the torque motorwill effeet rotation of the :i'g'niter'in a clockwisedirection jtofcarrythelelectrodes 3'and 4 from i "the full line position'of Fig. 2 to the dotted line positionof the samefiguref This movementjof, the shaft 13 will of course place the spring 16 under tension and when the motor circuit isio'pened the shaft 13 and the 'igniter jincluding 'the' electrodes 3 and 4 will be restored automatically to their initial position. Theoperation of the torque motor 18 and I the supplying of current to the electrodes 3 and t of the igniter is'controlled'by an intermittently operated motor shown diagrammatically inFigAand designed 24c." Current for jumping a spark across the gap 5 of the :ignite -is'supplied by the; secondary f a transformer 25, the-primaryof which is controlled contact mechanism operated the motor 24. V v v a Current :for thetorque motor 18 'and 'com trol motor24 may be supplied from any suitable'source. v "Uponoperation ofafpush button for example, current is [supplied to the motor 241E, byway of conductor 26, terminal 27, conductor;28','brush*29, armature of the motor 24, jbru'sh' 30, conductori 31; :terminal32 t0 the sufficiently engagement with the stationary contact '34 a which circuit may be traced by way of conductor 26,.terminal 27 ,conductor 35, armature of the motor 18, conductor 36,'terminal 38, conductor 39, contacts-34, 33, conta'ct 40,

contact brush 41, conductors 42, 31, terminal- 32 to the other side of the line.

The? closing of .the'fcircu1t tothis torque motor will rotate or rock the electrodes 3 and 4 of the spark plugor igniter in a clockwise direction from the fullline position in. Fig:

2 to the dotted line position in said figure.

A circuit is also closed at this time, that is, while the contacts 33'and 34 of the motor 24 are in engagement with each other, to the primary-of thetransfor'mer 25, by way of w dueter 1' rm n l Z,L d 43, Pl??- mary of the transformer, conductor 44, terminal I 38, conductor 32, contacts :34, 33, 40, brush contactsf4l, conductors 42, 31*, terminal .32. to the other side of the line. 1 The secondaryof the transformer hasone side grounded as indicatedjat45, the'other side being-conn cted to the'electrode of the;

' flsparkplug or igniter by conductor 46; The

Y the. secondar electrode 40f the igniter is grounded I I The parts are, so designed that, when the electrodes 3 and 4 have been moved to their operative or firingfposition, i. e., the dotted line position of Fig. 2, and Figlj4, thecircuit of the primary of. the transformer 25 will have been opened and the current induced in e I y will jumpthe; gap 5 between .the electrodes 3'and 4. v.

d I It, willbe understood, of course, that the notor-24 is only intermittently opjerated, as distinguished from beingucontinuously ro- .tated, and consequently after the operation aboye described, that is after the electrodes of the igniterhave been moved to firing position the motor 24 is brought to restwith the contacts 33 and 34 out of engagement with 7 each other "which of course opensithe circuit f the torque motor 17 sothat the spring 16 maye re'turn all parts including' the-igniterelectrodes to their initial position."

7. .As will be-seenfrom Fig. 1 thesparkplug or igniter ismounted atone side of the burner l :47, so that when the igniterelectrodes 3 and thesame,

4 are noved to their operative position the gap 5fwill be'in the path of atomized fuel issuing from-the nozzle of the burner 47, to ignite ,LThe brackets above referred which carries'the: spark plug or igniter andinay also carry the torque motor 18 is mounted' on a plate48, which may bejfastefned to the front of'the furnace. This arrangement ofrcourse j mayrbe Varied as desired.

i II have-shown a blower49 which'supplies" the necessaryair'forl atomizi'ng the-fueljfed through'the burner 47 ,but the operation of "thisblowerwill not be described herein {as the same forms nopart of the present invention. flt-willwbe'seen from the foregoing thatl have provided an ignition mechanism "which thereto.

is particularly adapted foruse with oilburn ers or oil burning apparatus, which ignition mechanism is so constructed and arranged that the electrodes thereof are positively moved into and out of firing position. This is e in this type of apparatus inasmuch asthe electrodes or terminals of the igniter are protected fromdirect contact with of'greatadva-nta the flame of the burner except at the instant of ignition or firing-of the fuel, thereby preventing injury to'the terminals or electrodes from this source; This arrangement also eliminates the carbonizingofthe electrodes and, hence faultyfoperation of the ignition system due to oil collecting thereon and be} coming carbonized by the furnace heat,

Iwish it to be understood that 'changes may be made in the details of construction above descrihed within the spirit and scope of this invention. 1 v V 1 7 What 1 I claim is:"

. p 1., In oi-l; burning apparatus, the bit;

tion of an igniter, a torque fmotor, aecontrol motor, a transformer, said'controlmotor being operativeto make and break the; circuit of said torque motor .and said transformer,

saidtorque motor being adapted to move said igniter into; operative position with respect to jthe burner 'of the 'a-pparatus,land said transformer beingoperative when the igniter is in such-position to supply ignition current suing from the burner, and springforrotat ing theelectrod'es in the opposite direction to restore the same to initialposition. H a 3. In; fl'QIIlblIlttlOn w th a furnace or comvbustion chamber, of an o l burner opening of elect rodes projecting into the combustion chamberand bent laterally so as normally to lieto one side of the burner, ttacker adjacent the front of the furnace for mounting the jigniter,;means for. impartinga' rotary, niovement to the igniter. in said. bracketv to swing thesa'id electrodes about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axes of the electrodes into line with fuel is'suing froin the burner, and

into the sam e an igniter 'comprising a pair driving mechanism. fQr .reversing,said'move- V ,ment' o f the nears-deem resepre uie same to Itheir normaliposition. d 1

- 4. In oil burning apparatus,the combina- 'tio'n of an igniter,.a mot'onfor moving-i'tlie igniter into;operative-position with respect to the burnerof the.apparatus,nieans operative T when the igniter is j operative position for zj pply n-gie r tto hei i ls izei de 3 I inotor for making and breaking the circuit of {the first mentioned motor and the circuit of the said means for supplying current to the figniter;

5. Ignition apparatus for oil burners comprising a vpair of; cooperating electrodes, a

i rotary support for said electrodes, a bearing for-said support, means operable independently ofthe heatof the burner for efiecting a partial rotation of said support to rotate said electrodes about. an axis parallel to the longitudinal. axis of. said electrodes into operative positionrelative to the fuel issuing from the burner, and means for reversing the movement of said support to restore the electrodesto their'initial position.

,6. The combinationfof an oil burner, an

' 'igniter comprising a spark plug provided with a pair of cooperating electrodes, said electrodes beingflbent laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of their support; an electric motor, a gear attached tosaid plug, a cooperating rack driven by said motor for initial position. '30

rotatingsaid electrodes about the axis of the electrode supportto b'ring the-electrodes into line With fuel issuing from the burner,

' and means for rotatingtheelectrodes in the opposite direction to restore the same to 7. The combinationbfan oil burner; an lgniter comprising cooperating electrodes and a support for the electr0des,,means for supporting theelectrode support to one side 'posite direction to restore positlon.

lApril, 192s.

of the burner, said electrodes being bent laterally With respect to the longitudinal axis of their. support, means for rotating said eleco trodes about the a-Xisof the electrode support 7 Thisspecification signed this 25th'day of JAMES MACRAE. 

